Lasik...

smellrose

Who's had it, was it successful or not?

Who wants it, but is having second thoughts?

Who thinks it's nuts to let anyone do something that drastic to your eyes?

I'm sitting somewhere in between wants it and thinks it's nuts. I've had a couple of consultations and found a doctor I like and trust, but am stuck trying to decide whether to go through with it or not. I'm very nearsighted, been wearing glasses since I was 9 and contacts since I was 16. Not much of astigmatism in either eye, but I have begun to get the dreaded presbyopia (the need for reading glasses) that most people start to get after 40. The doctor suggests monovision, correcting the dominant eye for distance and the other for reading. I have also read that once you have that flap cut on your cornea, it is never as strong as before and it is possible for it to get damaged if there is some sort of trauma.

Anyway, I would love to hear thoughts, experiences, observations, you name it!

blackredyellow

I would love to not have to wear contacts/glasses, but I've become so accustom to it over the years (glasses 25+ years, contacts 20+ years) that I don't think that it's a huge deal (for the cost).

What I'd like about lasiks is the freedom from glasses/contacts, but I keep thinking that at 35 years old, even if I got the surgery now, I'd end up wearing reading glasses down the road anyway.

81

no way am i letting anybody near my eye with a laser.

gf had it years ago, well before i met her in 2003. anyways, she had it done and she now needs glasses.

smellrose

81 wrote:

gf had it years ago, well before i met her in 2003. anyways, she had it done and she now needs glasses.

I hear that alot. But, when you've been wearing glasses/contacts 24/7 for the past 30 years, the thought of only having to wear glasses for reading or driving sounds pretty good! That's also the reason the doc suggests correcting for monovision, and hopefully, not needing those reading glasses.

decides2dream

i am a huge fan/promoter of lasik. i had it done in 1999. some of the BEST $$$ i have ever spent! i have worn glasses or contacts since the 3rd grade. 15 minutes after the surgery - which lasted all of a minute, total, for both eyes - and i had 20/20 vision. it was AMAZING. my vision didn't stay 20/20, was more like 20/20 right eye/20/25 left eye....but seriously, it was sooooo fantastic! my vision has worsened a bit since - not absolutely *perfect* anymore, but i still do not need to wear glasses/contacts. so i've already gotten 10 years of nearly perfect vision. eventually i am sure i will more than likely need glasses again, most people do end up needing glasses later in life. however, i've had fabulous years without em and am hoping i get at least another 5 to 10. totally, totally WORTH it to me!

just be sure to thoroughly research your doctor. i went with a doctor who did the surgery on my sister and then brother-in-law, and who had personally performed the surgery on over 1k patients before me. he rn his own practice, had his own lasik machine, etc....completely dedicated to eye health.


good luck with whatever you decide!
:thumbup:

blackredyellow

How much does it cost on average now days?

smellrose

blackredyellow wrote:

How much does it cost on average now days?

I went to 2 different places and it was about $3000 for both eyes. Which, if you figure it out, cost of glasses and contacts plus fluids and what not, could pay off over time.

smellrose

decides2dream wrote:

i am a huge fan/promoter of lasik. i had it done in 1999. some of the BEST $$$ i have ever spent! i have worn glasses or contacts since the 3rd grade.
good luck with whatever you decide!
:thumbup:

Thanks, you sound alot like me. After all these years, not having to worry about those things would be grand:)

Brisk.

Did consider it but i wear day nightly contact lenses now, have been for years. Pretty much got perfect version 24/7. I sometimes dont even changing them after a month as im so used to having just 'normal' vision. Not sure if laser eye surgery can actually make your eyes like brand new.

theboxerorthebag

you are going to get a wicked eye infection if you keep that up.

I had LASIK and now have 20/20 vision, but I have eye dryness now.

Brisk. wrote:

Did consider it but i wear day nightly contact lenses now, have been for years. Pretty much got perfect version 24/7. I sometimes dont even changing them after a month as im so used to having just 'normal' vision. Not sure if laser eye surgery can actually make your eyes like brand new.

Who Princess

Count me in the NFW would I let somebody do something like that to my eyes category.

I've met people who've had it done successfully and are happy with it but I also know 2 people who had it done and still have to wear glasses. They also have problems with glare they didn't have before the surgery. A year or so ago I read an article in the NY Times about a woman who decided to do it because she thought it would be so nice to give up glasses after a lifetime of wearing them. Now she has the problems with glare too. But according to the fine print on her agreement her surgery was a success because it corrected her nearsightedness even though her eyes drive her crazy when she's outside. She wishes she still had to wear glasses.

So, sorry to be Debbie Downer but I've only got one set of eyeballs and nobody is messing with them just so I can look purdy. I've worn glasses since I was 10 and now I'm 55. I'm nearsighted as all get out and I have presbyopia too. It used to bug me to wear glasses but I got over it about 40 years ago. Right now I have titanium frames and even though they were expensive they are the lightest, most comfortable glasses I've ever had. The first thing I do when I wake up is put on my glasses and after that I don't give them a second thought.


EDIT. Wow, that was kind of a self-righteous rant, wasn't it. :oops: :shifty:

Indian Summer

I wore glasses since I was 8. I had it done in 2008 and Its great. I have had perfect 20/20 checkups since. I was a perfect candidate for it however. I would recommend it to anyone considering it, and I even had a slight complication from it. But I would do it again in a heartbeat. Yes, you will need reading glasses at the very least later in life...usually around your mid 40's. But I'm only 29 right now, so 12-15 years of being glasses free is well worth the price for me.

mca47

I'd love to have it done. Over the last 5-7 years my eyes have gone to shit. Hate wearing glasses but do because I have to (driving, etc) and hate the idea of contacts.

Wobbie

I had it done maybe 10(?) years ago and LOVE it. I was blind as a bat....literally in the 20/600 range. I had one eye "done" for distance and one for close. It works perfectly (other than having one bug eye )

seriously............... it was great for me.

sourdough09

I just had it a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I had a procedure called PRK which is similar but has a longer recovery period and hurts a hell of a lot more. Apparently, I have thin corneas so they couldn't do regular lasik. Essentially, PRK preserves more of the tissue but they have to scrape off the cornea completely rather than just making a flap.

Long story short... PRK hurt. A lot. I spent 5 days in a dark room not able to read, use computers or watch tv. It hurt to open my eyes and had extreme light sensitivity. it sucked. HOWEVER, I did manage to make it to the PJ concert (against the wishes of my doc) and had a blast despite a bit of discomfort and two days later hiked 20 km up a mountain and was fine. A month and a half later my eyes are BETTER than 20/20 and have had no problems. Despite the discomfort, I would definitely say it was worth it. Hopefully I'll say the same in a few years.

PearlOfAGirl

sourdough09 wrote:

I just had it a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I had a procedure called PRK which is similar but has a longer recovery period and hurts a hell of a lot more. Apparently, I have thin corneas so they couldn't do regular lasik. Essentially, PRK preserves more of the tissue but they have to scrape off the cornea completely rather than just making a flap.

Long story short... PRK hurt. A lot. I spent 5 days in a dark room not able to read, use computers or watch tv. It hurt to open my eyes and had extreme light sensitivity. it sucked. HOWEVER, I did manage to make it to the PJ concert (against the wishes of my doc) and had a blast despite a bit of discomfort and two days later hiked 20 km up a mountain and was fine. A month and a half later my eyes are BETTER than 20/20 and have had no problems. Despite the discomfort, I would definitely say it was worth it. Hopefully I'll say the same in a few years.

That sounds encouraging. I've always had conflicting feelings about having it done myself, but I've got chronic dry eye, so contacts are a real pain to wear, and glasses are getting pretty expensive and I'm always losing them... :roll: plus I've got emacular degeneration in my left eye...

Wobbie

HeartShapedBox wrote:

That sounds encouraging. I've always had conflicting feelings about having it done myself, but I've got chronic dry eye, so contacts are a real pain to wear, and glasses are getting pretty expensive and I'm always losing them... :roll: plus I've got emacular degeneration in my left eye...

in my case, yeah it's expensive, but you'll never buy glasses or all that contacts stuff ever again! Those fizzy enzyme tablets were fucking pricey!!

P.S. to the OP: during the procedure, you will actually be able to smell your eyeballs burning! :shock: :shock:

smellrose

When I had the exam to see if I am a candidate, all the tests said yes. Like I said before, I've been extremely near sighted for many years, but my prescription has stabilized considerably in the last 6 years or so. My corneas were the right thickness, and my pupils are not to large. The pupil size, from what I understand, is pretty important. If they're too large, you run the risk of the night vision and halos around lights.

It's not really a vanity thing with me, either. I work at a computer everyday, and with contacts, my eyes tend to dry out and tire faster. I do wear my glasses when I'm on a big project. I just can't stand wearing the glasses in the summer, or when I'm at the gym, or when I'm rockin' out at a concert. Again, it's not the vanity thing, it's just the fact that they're cumbersome and constantly have to be cleaned because I cannot stand even the slightest smudge on them.

I just have to figure out how to save up the money for it. I'm due for new contacts in December and am trying to decide by then before I invest in another year.

Thanks for the responses, and please keep them coming. It does help!

HeavyHands

I haven't had either Lasik or PRK so take my thoughts for what they're worth...

Literally dozens of my friends have had Lasik or PRK surgery to correct their vision. In the long run none of them have regretted it. They had their short term gripes. One of the PRK people had bandages over his eyes for a few days afterwords. All of them used eye drops compulsively for a while, but I think they were prescription antibiotic eye drops to keep the wound site clean from infection. Only one or two of them feel any need to use any lubricating eye drops years after they've had the surgery. All of them love not having to wear contacts or glasses any more.

I remember having a conversation with someone contrasting their vision before and after the surgery. It went something like this:

Me: How much of a difference did it make?
Him: The first time I looked at a tree I was amazed because I could see leaves.
Me: What do you mean?
Him: Before the surgery it just looked like a giant blob. I knew there were leaves there, but I couldn't see any of the edges. They all blended into one big mass.
Me: And that's gone now?
Him: Yep.

Pretty amazing. I can't imagine not being able to see life's small details.

Also, I know you've researched both PRK and Lasik, but just remember that neither of them prevent macular degeneration (http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/armd_facts.asp). Your vision will continue to get worse as you age just like everyone else. No Steve Austin for you.

Cheers,

HeavyHands

Travelar

I had LASIK a couple of years ago. I'm still convinced that it's the best money that I ever spent. Having worn glasses or contacts since second grade, m eyesight was horrible. I've been very pleased with the results. I sat on the fence for a long time worrying about the negative consequences, but now that's all said and done, I couldn't be happier.

I don't have a single negative thing to say about LASIK.

mca47

The second my insurance covers it is the second I schedule my appointment!

supersonicyears

I used to say I would never do it but as I get older and my vision gets worse, I would love to have this done. I am so nearsighted and a bit farsighted, if I don't wear my glasses or contacts I pretty much can't see anything clear further than 10 feet away. Because of the size of my eyes, the contacts I wear sometimes, allows me to see far away but unless I wear reading glasses I can't see clearly within 2 feet of me. The glasses I have that I was guaranteed would allow me to see perfectly up close and far away do not work. I can't use them when I'm on the computer. I wonder if you can have one eye at a time done? It's kinda scary though.

LikeAnOcean

I had it almost three years ago and it was the best money I've ever spent!

I've had 20/20 vision ever since. I was probably legally blind before so, my vision was so bad.